THURSDAY, 4.00PM:
SINCE former Zimbabwean president Canaan Banana was accused of homosexual rape by his former aide de camp earlier this year, dozens of students, soccer players and soldiers have approached police investigating the claims with complaints that they too had suffered sexual harassment from Banana, the Financial Gazette repotred Thursday.
The allegations first arose in February this year when the aide, who was on trial for murder, told the trial court he had been driven to drink and drugs after Banana used him as a sex slave.
Banana, the Zimbabwean president from independence in 1980 to 1987, is well known for his love of soccer, and created his own State House team while he was president. He is now a theology professor at the University of Zimbabwe. It is believed some of the latest complaints came from his former players and current students.
Zimbabwe police say they are investigating charges against Banana, and hope to bring the 61-year-old Methodist minister to court within the next month. Homosexuality is outlawed in Zimbabwe, and the Banana scandal is an embarrassment to President Robert Mugabe, who has been vociferous in his criticism of homosexuality.